


Silent Lignting

by alint121



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-26 14:21:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16683262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alint121/pseuds/alint121
Summary: This is a story about Bolin and Opal's oldest daughter (OC), who has found herself caught in the middle of a Triad war. Despite trying to stay out of the fight, she's dragged in by a force that threatens to destroy all of Republic City.





	1. Chapter 1

Liang was getting ready for her pro-bending match. It’d been almost a year since her debut with the Amber Armadillo Tigers. She’d been training with her Uncle Mako since she was 9 and now at age 16 she was really making a name for herself. While she was still a small time player, Liang was getting a lot of attention for her unique flame color. At first the referees put restrictions on her flames due to their unique color and the intensity that they burned at, but after making adjustments to her flame production she stopped getting penalties and started winning. Known for her intense play style as well as her efficiency, Liang was a force to reckon with. Still, she wasn’t making much money especially considering that she was paying for her training space as well as equipment. 

With a heavy sigh, Liang helped close up the arena before heading back home herself. She knew the facility well since she spent most of her days there for the last 7 years. For her the building was more like a second home for her and a place to truly be herself. 

As Liang exited the building a chill went through the air. Liang didn’t exactly like the cold and a shiver confirmed it. Drawing her arms around herself, Liang let out a breath of fire which helped warm her body as she made her way through the streets. The sun had gone down only a half hour before, but already gangs were gathering on the edges of the roads. Liang knew about these different gangs and knew to keep her distance. Both her father and uncle warned her about the gangs and how getting involved was dangerous. While she believed them, she wondered just how dangerous they were. Keeping her eyes low, Liang ignored the various people who were on the streets...until a fight broke out. She’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now she was caught in an all out brawl. Fire was flying over head while ice shards flew through the air. Big boulders threatened to crush anyone who didn’t flee from the scene. Liang had to duck for cover as she scrambled to evade attacks. 

Every turn she made there was another person throwing ice or fire balls. Taking a more defensive stance, Liang prepared to protect herself. An ice shard flew towards her and she immediately incinerated it until it turned to steam. This was a mistake because now she was being targeted by the various gang members. Before she knew it, Liang was fighting for her life in the middle of a firefight. She was being flanked on both sides by the Triple Threat Triad and the Creeping Crystal Triad. 

A charge through the air made the hair on Liang’s arms stand tall. She saw a lightning strike aimed at a gang member who was already knocked out. Jumping in front of the individual, Liang redirected the lightning into the air which seemed to alert the already deployed police. Liang hoped that her father wouldn’t find her here, but it wasn’t like he could be angry. She wasn’t looking for a fight. After a long day training, fighting in the streets was the last thing she wanted to do. Once the lightning was redirected the focus of several benders was on Liang. She regretted a lot in that moment as she was bombarded by various attacks. It took all of her energy to fend of the six benders who were encircling her. Just when she thought things were over, the police arrived to break up the fight. While most wouldn’t bother with the police, this fight seemed to transcend them. Liang wondered what took them so long as they started to attack the various gang members. 

Getting a bit distracted, Liang turned to face the police hoping that she wouldn’t see her father’s face. While she did this a bolt of lightning struck her in the back causing her to leave the ground. Reacting on instinct, Liang extended her pointer and middle finger on her left hand and let the electricity exit her body. She hit the ground hard as the lightning exited her body and through her left arm. Her redirection wasn’t good enough because it was guided to a police vehicle which exploded immediately pushing several individuals back. Liang felt her vision fade slightly as her body still tingled with electricity. She cringed on the ground as she looked up to see people fleeing the scene. Too weak to move on her own, Liang felt two people pick her up and run away from the fight. 


	2. Chapter 2

Bolin was sitting at his desk looking over a few papers as Mako did the same. He eyed his brother and walked over. “Hey bro,” Bolin stated with his signature smirk that indicated he had an idea.

Mako looked at his brother for a moment before turning back to his papers. “No, I don’t know what it is but no,” Mako replied as he ignored his brother standing beside his desk. Almost on command, Bolin hunched down to be within Mako’s field of vision and began to pout. “That doesn’t work on me and you know it. I’m not getting involved in whatever you’re thinking.” Despite this statement, Bolin knew that he was winning. There was a slight annoyance in Mako’s voice that indicated he was going to cave. After a few moments, Mako sighed and put his papers down. “What are you planning?”

“I was thinking that we should go to visit Korra and Asami in the South Pole next week! Only the two of us. It’d be like the old days. Also, I really want to try that new seaweed noodle shop tonight. I hear their noodles are the next best thing in Republic City!” Bolin’s voice grew as he got more excited. Eventually, his arms flew open and he smiled wide. 

Looking at his brother, Mako put his head in his hand as he thought out loud, “Next week’s not good for me. I have double duty and I’ve been summoned by Wu...He wants me to help him with some ‘official’ thing that he refuses to tell me about. Maybe next month we can go.” The response got a sad look from Bolin which made Mako sigh. “But I could really use a good bowl of seaweed noodles. Are you sure Opal is alright with you not being home for dinner tonight?” 

“No worries Mako, I already told her that I was going to have dinner with you tonight,” Bolin smiled as he cheered to himself. Mako couldn’t believe that Bolin had predicted this and then his expression softened as he realized that his brother was still that little twerp from their childhood. 

After their shift, Mako and Bolin drove to the noodle shop which was on the outskirts of the shopping district. It was nice enough and had a large crowd. Obviously people enjoyed the food. They both ordered the seaweed noodle special. As it was brought out, Bolin’s mouth watered which made Mako laugh. They were both under a lot of stress from work and family life, but today they could just relax like they did when they were young. This didn’t last long though.

The sounds of people screaming came in like a tidal wave. People were running in the streets which prompted those in the shop to peek their heads out. Mako pushed his way through the crowd as Bolin worked on crowd control. In the distance Mako could see bursts of fire, flying rocks, and ice shards. It was obvious that there was a gang fight happening. One of the people running through the streets yelled, “EVERYONE RUN! THE TRIPLE THREATS AND CREEPING CRYSTALS ARE FIGHTING!”

Mako looked at Bolin and they nodded. Without needing words they understood what they needed to do. Mako ran ahead as Bolin trailed slightly behind helping anyone fleeing the scene. Mako ducked quickly as an ice shard flew through the air threatening to take his head off. “Stop, police,” Mako yelled as he engaged a Creeping Crystal Triad Member. His attention was quickly drawn away by a familiar sight. Turning abruptly, Mako confirmed his suspicions. He ran towards the center of the battle keeping his eyes on the green tinged yellow flames. 

“BOLIN! LIANG’S HERE!” Mako called out, but his brother was too far behind him to hear. Mako rushed towards the scene, but was slowed down by various attacks from both Triads. That’s when he saw Liang defending an unconscious Triad member. Mako wondered if this meant she got involved in a Triad or if she was just defending a downed man. He couldn’t think about it too much because he needed to stay focused on his own fight. After knocking one earthbender down, Mako rushed towards the fire fight but was knocked down by a water whip. For a moment he turned his attention to the water bender who just attacked him, but that was quickly diverted when he felt the electricity in the air. 

“LIANG NO!” Mako screamed as he turned towards the bright light. He assumed that it was Liang generating the lightning, which he knew from experience could kill, but instead it was a triad member. Frozen for a moment, Mako watched as Liang was knocked off her feet by a bolt of lightning. His stomach turned as he watched the electricity course through her body tearing a hole in the back of her jacket before finally being redirected out of her body. Mako grit his teeth as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees to blast the Triad member who attacked Liang. Turning back to where Liang was, Mako watched as she was taken away by two men fleeing the fight. 

Bolin found Mako still on the ground when he knelt down and stated, “Backup’s here.” Mako grabbed Bolin’s arm and pulled himself to his feet.

“They took Liang,” Mako stated as he looked around for a police vehicle. 

“What do you mean? She’s at home tonight. She didn’t have work,” Bolin stated as he tried to calm his brother down.

Turning to grab his brother, Mako looked into Bolin’s eyes and said, “I saw her and she was taken by a triad. Just trust me on this one.” Bolin nodded as he followed Mako down an alleyway and through several weaving streets. After an hour of searching Bolin grew concerned for Mako. 

“Mako, she wasn’t here. You probably mistook someone. Let’s head to my house. I’ll show you that everything’s alright,” Bolin stated as he place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

When Liang woke up she was in a cot covered in bandages. A change of clothes were folded in a chair beside her with the red scarf folded neatly on top. She looked around and found the room dimly lit by a glowing green crystal. The blanket covering her was a perfect thickness and the bed was soft, but that didn’t stop the searing pain that ran through her left side. Slowly she sat up and started to take off the bandages to get an idea of the damage. A strange pattern decorated her skin from her left hip up through her left arm where the lightning exited her body. It didn’t look too bad, but it definitely needed to be covered. Liang did her best to rewrap the bandages before moving to put her clothes back on. She struggled a bit, but was able to dress herself. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Liang tried to form a plan for getting out of the room. 

Just as she made up her mind to try blasting through the wall a person entered. They used earthbending to form a door to the room, which indicated that she was definitely at a disadvantage. Liang looked at the person who smiled. He was a young man probably around her age or a little older. He wore a simple green shirt with a close-fitting jacket. His mouth moved, but not even muffled sounds came out. Liang then touched her ears and noticed that the usual hearing aids were gone, probably exploded when she was hit by that lightning. The person noticed this and took out a piece of paper and pen.

_ My name is Bak-koh. You saved me during the fight with the Triple Threat Triads. Now you’re safe, but your hearing aids were destroyed. You’ve been asleep for almost two days now. Are you deaf? _

Liang took the pad as it was extended to her. She read the message and wondered how she should respond. Taking the pen, Liang replied to the message,

_ Thanks for caring for me, but I really need to get going. Can I leave? _

Liang handed the pad back to the young man who read the response. His face contorted slightly as he looked up at Liang before writing,

_ My boss has a few questions she wants to ask you, but after that you can leave. _

Liang read the message and nodded informing Bak-Koh that she understood. He left the room shortly after and Liang took a seat back on the bed. She was growing anxious as she waited for someone else to return to the room. It didn’t take long. Soon a young woman appeared in the doorway draped in a beautiful green shawl appeared along with Bak-Koh and another, more intimidating man. She began to speak, but Liang just pouted and pointed to her ear. While she could hear that the woman was saying something the words were intelligible and there was no way Liang was putting in the effort to lip-read in her state. She was still exhausted and her body trembled slightly. 

The woman had darker skin and beautiful silky brown hair. Liang was slightly jealous since her hair never looked that good. As the woman scribbled on the pad, Liang watched the body language of the other two men. This was something that Uncle Mako told her to do to help her assess the situation. From what she gathered neither were intimidated by her or saw her as a threat, which could prove dangerous if she needed to flee. 

_ My name is Jargala and I am the head of the Creeping Crystal Triad. You saved one of ours during a fight that took place almost two days ago between us and the Triple Threat Triad. I am grateful to you for saving Bak-Koh’s life. I was wondering what you were doing there in the first place and if you wanted to join us? You’d be a valuable asset to us as a firebender.  _

Liang looked at the woman as she smiled to her. Taking the pen, Liang scribbled down her reply,

_ I was going home from work and no I’m not interested in joining, but thanks.  _

Jargala glanced up at Liang as she read the note. It was obvious that she wasn’t impressed by Liang’s not wanting to join her gang, but instead of pushing the subject Jargala nodded and looked at the two men on either side of her. She then proceeded to write,

_ I’ll have someone take you out.  _

After writing the note, Jargala turned away from Liang and left the room. Bak-Koh lingered for a moment longer before following Jargala. The door closed behind them and Liang was left alone again. She sighed heavily as she held her side and laid down on the bed. She closed her eyes and let her mind wandered. 

She must’ve fallen back to sleep because when she awoke she was on a back alley somewhere in Republic City. There was a small note in her pocket that read,

_ The Creeping Crystals are thankful to you. If you need us you’ll know where to find us.  _

Liang crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it into the nearest trash can. She held her left side as a sharp pain ran through her side. Her stomach growled loudly as she followed the alley way to the street. She knew that she should probably go to the hospital, but she didn’t want to nor did she want to explain things to her parents right now. With a heavy sigh, Liang held her stomach. She checked her pockets and found that her wallet had been taken which wasn’t a good sign either. Besides having her money, her wallet had her ID cards which meant that whoever had her wallet knew where she lived. Liang sighed heavily as she decided where she was going to go now. 


	4. Chapter 4

Bolin burst through his front door. He didn’t bother taking off his shoes. “Liang!” he shouted as he entered the living room. There he found his daughter with a large bowl of leftover rice with salmon on top. She looked up at him with a curious look before going back to her food. Signing with one hand, Liang said, ‘Hi dad. We have to call Aunt Asami because my hearing aids were trashed.’ Bolin was still trying to comprehend what was happening when he noticed Liang’s hand. It had a strange pattern that littered her skin.

Bolin quickly took a seat next to Liang and reached for her hand. ‘A lot’s happened Dad. I’ll tell you later, but right now I’m starving.’ With this Bolin backed off a bit. He felt a little embarrassed since he wasn’t sure what to do next. Part of him wanted to yell at Liang and demand that she tell him what happened, but he also knew that it would get him nowhere. Taking a deep breath, Bolin calmed himself and leaned on his knees so he could be seen.

‘Ok. Is it alright if I sit here with you?’ Bolin feared that he’d be sent away, but instead Liang just shrugged her shoulders as she took another large spoonful of rice and shoved it in her mouth. Bolin watched quietly as he thought about what to do next. Glancing at Liang’s hand, Bolin wondered how bad the damage was. He knew the dangers of lightning and after what he heard from Mako, Bolin feared the worst. Seeing Liang now though, one wouldn’t know that anything was out of the ordinary. Maybe that was a good thing…

When Liang finished her bowl, she stood and took it to the sink. She washed it and placed it on a drying rack before taking a seat next to her father. She took a deep breath and tried to think of what to say. Before she could say anything Bolin started, ‘I was so worried. Are you alright? Do you need a healer? Aunt Korra’s in the city for a while we can…’

‘No Dad, I’m fine. I saw a healer already. There’s not much more to do than rest now.’ Liang kept her response short because she was still trying to figure out what to say. There was so much she needed to say, but there was no good way of saying it. ‘We should go to the police station though. Someone stole my wallet and I need a new ID.’ Bolin was caught off guard by how calm and nonchalaunt Liang was about this entire situation, but then again she was always like this. Rarely did she open up and show fear or concern for her situation.

‘Why don’t you rest for today and we can go tomorrow. I’d still feel better if Aunt Korra took a look at you. Also, you should probably give your statement at the station.’ Bolin replied calmly as he smiled to his daughter. Something told him that she’d been through alot and didn’t want to push her too much. Bolin stared ahead when he felt Liang lean against him. Her eyes were shut and her body felt heavy like it was being weighed down by something more than exhaustion. Bolin let his arm wrap around her shoulders as they sunk back into the couch.

Unspoken words passed between them which made Bolin remember when she was younger and things were simpler. He wanted to protect her and ensure that nothing bad would happen, but the last few days made him feel like a failure as a father. Holding onto Liang, Bolin cherished these moments as he let his head rest against hers.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Opal came home and saw Liang and Bolin asleep on the couch. She rushed over to her daughter with concern in her eyes. It subsided when she saw how peaceful she slept. This all changed when Hung and Huan burst through the doorway. “Liang’s back!!! Liang’s back!” they cheered in unison as they jumped on Bolin and Liang, waking them both. Bolin smiled as the two boys piled on top of him and Liang.

Picking Hung up, Bolin said to the boys, “Let’s calm down. You can play with Liang tomorrow.” Bolin looked at his daughter who was holding her left side. Concern littered his face as he knelt down to be eye level with Liang. ‘What’s wrong? Are you alright?’ Bolin didn’t get a response as Liang regulated her breathing. Bolin turned to Opal, “I’m taking her to Korra. Tell Mako to meet me at Asami’s.”

Opal nodded as she gathered the boys. She was genuinely concerned for her daughter, but at the moment they couldn’t leave the boys alone. Both were a bit freaked out by Liang’s response to them and Opal knew she had to calm them down. She turned to Bolin who was grabbing a coat for Liang, “I’ll come when I can.” Bolin nodded as he wrapped Liang in the coat and picked her up.


	5. Chapter 5

Asami was waiting at the door for Bolin who’d called just a few minutes earlier. Korra was standing beside her as they watched for a car to pull up. Mako was the first to arrive. He’d come from the police station and immediately left when he got a call from Bolin. “Are they here yet?” Asami shook her head ‘no’ which made Mako worry a bit. “Well, Bolin said he was on his way so they should be here soon.” The three stood in the doorway waiting for Bolin to arrive with Liang. The cold night air indicated the changing seasons in Republic City. Mako didn’t like this time of year because it reminded him of the cold nights on the streets and how hard it was to find food in the winter months. Mako was pulled from his thoughts as another car pulled up.

Bolin’s car pulled up right to the front steps. He was signing to Liang who was sitting in the passenger seat. Bolin killed the engine and walked over to the passenger side. It was obvious that Liang was resisting Bolin’s help as she got out of the car herself. Bolin still kept an arm around her and offered support, but she was walking on her own. Asami smiled warmly to Liang and signed,  _ ‘It’s cold. Come in.’  _ Liang smiled to Asami and walked up the stairs leaning gently on Bolin. Liang’s eyes met Mako’s for a moment and she saw the concern. 

_ ‘I’m fine. Just a little sore. Don’t worry so much, _ ’ Liang said to Mako as she walked up the stairs. Mako knew her well enough to not push the subject, but his eyes gave him away. Liang knew she worried a ton of people and it made her feel guilty for some reason. Going into the mansion, Liang kept her eyes straight ahead. Korra looked at her and smiled. For some reason Liang felt that Korra understood what was happening and how she felt. Too bad Korra was always off somewhere doing Avatar business. 

_ ‘I set up a room for you. Don’t worry, no boys allowed,’  _ Korra signed as she gave a thumbs up. Liang smiled to her and moved away from Bolin. She nodded towards Korra and Asami as they disappeared down the hall leaving Bolin and Mako alone. 

“What happened?” Mako demanded as he turned to Bolin.

“I don’t know. She called me on the home phone and I found her eating a bowl of rice when I got home. She didn’t seem that bad when I got there, but you’re right. She was definitely in that fight. It looks like the lightning did a lot of damage, but I couldn’t see really. Everything was fine until the boys woke us up,” Bolin explained as he tried to recount the hours earlier. “Do you think she’s gotten involved in a Triad?”

Mako shook his head and replied, “No, I think she was just caught up in the fight and tried to help.” 

 

Korra led Liang down the hall and into a private room that looked a lot more like a room in the southern watertribe. There were mats on the floor to sit on and a small basin of water in the corner. Against the wall of the room under the window was a full sized bed and chest. Korra motioned for Liang to take a seat on the floor near the basin. Asami closed the door behind them and took a seat behind where Liang was. She looked at Korra for a moment before Korra turned to Liang,  _ ‘It’s just us girls so you can take off your shirt.’  _

Liang looked at Korra for a moment before slowly pulling off her jacket and shirt to reveal a layer of bandages covering her torso up to her left arm. Liang started to undo the bandages, but Korra stopped her.  _ ‘I can do that.’ _ Liang didn’t argue. She knew she could, but there was some comfort knowing that Korra was there helping. 

Korra took a glob of water from the basin in one hand as another undid the bandages. As the bandages were taken off, Korra replaced them with the glowing water. Once the bandages were removed Korra could see the extent of the damage. Letting the water spread over the entire affected area, Korra breathed slowly and allowed the water to heal. Korra could see the damage done on the inside and focused on repair the damaged tissue around Liang’s organs. The lightning strike was powerful and it was obvious that when the lightning struck Liang she was airborne. There were two paths that the lighting traveled through Liang’s stomach, which she probably forced once she realized what was happening and her heart, which was the main target. The branching pattern on Liang’s skin showed how the lightning spread from its initial impact, but there was something unique about it. Korra examined it closer and her face revealed something that it shouldn’t. 

 

Korra and Asami appeared in the hallway where the two brothers stood obviously worried. Korra opened her mouth first to explain what she found before the others could ask questions. “Liang’s fine. The muscles around her heart were damaged, but her heart wasn’t touched because she redirected the lightning while it was inside of her body. It’s really impressive actually. Since the electricity lingered in her body for a split second before being able to escape through her left arm there’s a good amount of skin damage and scarring. It’s mostly superficial so no need to worry. One thing though. From what I can tell something happened right after the strike, between when the lightning entered her body and it exited...I think she may have died for a brief moment. It’s not impossible since the muscles around her heart were affected. They could’ve easily seized, but then when the lightning left her body and the excess energy dissipated the muscles relaxed. Maybe someone performed CPR or the shock of the lightning leaving her body and her chi returning to a lower state started her heart back up. ” The air was heavy as Bolin and Mako tried to understand the information given to them. Korra could see this and quickly reassured them, “But don’t worry. She’s fine now. She’s asleep peacefully in the guest room that my parents often use. She just needs to take it easy for a while and she’ll be back to her normal self.” 

Bolin’s face was still extremely pale as he comprehended Korra’s words. He nearly fell back as he stumbled slightly, placing a hand against the wall of the hallway. “It’s my fault. I should’ve…my little girl died and I couldn’t find her for two days.”

Mako pulled Bolin in for a tight embrace and said sternly, “Stop this now. There’s nothing you can do about the past. Right now Liang needs you to be strong for her. We’ll catch those bastards, but for now you just focus on being there for Liang.” 

Bolin calmed down and picked his head up to look his brother in the eyes, “Thanks. Your right.” Bolin then turned to Asami, “Liang was asking about another pair of hearing aids. The others were destroyed.”

“Already on it. I’ll have them ready by tomorrow early afternoon,” Asami replied with a sweet reassuring smile. “You’re all welcome to stay here for the night. Bolin there’s a bedroom next to where Liang’s is. It has two beds in it.” Asami knew that the two brothers were close and thought she’d offer a room where they could stay together. Bolin looked at Mako who nodded. The two followed Asami down the hallway and into a separate bedroom.  


End file.
